Aniyia Williams is a systems thinker, entrepreneur, inventor, grantmaker, community builder, and investor. She is Principal on the Responsible Technology team at Omidyar Network, where she works to help the tech world live up to its promise of changing lives forthe better.

Prior to joining Omidyar Network, Aniyia founded Black & Brown Founders, a nonprofit which helps Black and Latinx entrepreneurs launch tech businesses. She continues to serve as the organization’s board chair. Aniyia is also co-founder of Zebras Unite, an entrepreneur-led movement focused on creating a more ethical and sustainable startup ecosystem through capital, culture, and community; convener of the Black Innovation Alliance, an ecosystem of organizations that support, fund, and sustain Black innovators; and co-founder of the Firefly Alliance, a community that equips women with collaborative leadership skills to move beyond racism and sexism. Previously, Aniyia founded the fashion tech company, Tinsel, which invented the world’s first audio necklace, designed in response to a lack of electronics developed for women.

Before working in startups and launching her own businesses, Aniyia held roles in major gifts fundraising at nonprofits. She also has a background in the arts, with a decade of training as an opera singer.

Aniyia holds a B.A. in music, with minors in business and Italian from Penn State University. She was a Bunton-Waller Fellow and graduated with honors in Italian and musicology, as well as the Josephine Rhea Award for Excellence in Italian studies. In 2019, Aniyia was honored by Penn State with the esteemed Alumni Achievement Award, presented to prominent alumni 35 and younger.